Tubular foldable frame



April 14, 1964 o. M. RAINWATER 3,128,727

TUBULAR FOLDABLE FRAME Filed Jan. 16, 1962 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. damn/v M ,n/A n wz'e Ap 1964 o. M. RAINWATER TUBULAR FOLDABLE FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1962 INVENTOR.

irmeyiy United States Patent Ofi 3,128,727 Patented Apr. 14, 1964 3,128,727 TUBULAR FOLDABLE FRAME ()rman M. Rainwater, 2551 Midvale Ave, Los Angeies, Calif. Filed Jan. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 166,603 6 Claims. (Cl. 108-129) This invention relates to tubular foldable frames for furniture, stands, and the like, and particularly to a table or stand composed of simple telescoping U-shaped units with a top.

Folding furniture using tubular frames is well known, the present invention using basic units of four U-shaped better understanding of the from the following detailed description FIG. 1 is a invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view the foldable members;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another position FIG. 4 is a folded position;

FIG. 5 is a detail view showing one manner of holding the telescoping members in fixed position and taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1

FiG. 6 is a detail view of the attachment of the cross tubular sections of the units to the table top and taken along the line 6 6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing interconnecting showing two positions of the cleats being at an frame is composed of The unit to which the edges of the cleats 6 and 7.

As shown in FIG. 1, the table is in one fixed elevated position and reference is now made to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 to illustrate the manner of folding the U-shaped telethe unit 12, 12a and 12!: rotates on leg 16b 16a and 16b, and unit 14, 14a and 14b rotates on leg 16a of unit 16, 16a and 16b. Thus, the unit 14, 14a and 14b and the unit 12, 12a and 12b will rotate until they become in substantially the same place as unit 16, 16a and 16b, as shown in FIG. 2.

The next position in the folding operation is shown in FIG. 3 where the unit 14, 14a and 14b is rotated over unit 12, 12a and 12b until the two units are in substantially parallel planes, after which the sections are folded with the table top 5, as shown in FIG. 4. To unfold the table, it will be only necessary to reverse the folding operation.

Referring, now, to FIG. 7, a similar unit is illustrated wherein the cross cleats 25 and 26 of a top 27 are hinged by hinges 31 to a cross-section 28 of a U-shaped unit having vertical sections 29 and 30. A similar unit is shown at 32, 33, and 34. Two similar U-shaped units are shown at 36, 37, and 38 and at 40, 41, and 42. In this modification, the upper and lower U-shaped sections are joined by cylindrical couplings 44 having extensions 45.

shown in cross-section in 56 consist of tubes 58 and 59 in the ends of which is a resilient rubber rod 61 which will permit the braces to bend when the rigid sleeve 62 is removed therefrom, as shown in FIG. 9. The ends of the tubes 58 and 59 can be mounted on pin extensions 45, as shown in FIG. 8, or on pin extensions 64 attached to a collar 65 having a wing set screw 66, as shown in FIG. 12, which is a modification of the coupling between units, as shown in FIG. 8. The braces 55 and 56 may also form a support for a shelf, a portion of which is shown at 67.

Referring, now, to FIG. 10, a seat is provided for the table made up of the tubing units just described, a portion of such a table being shown by the top 70 and sections 71, 72, 73, 74 and 75. The seat is made up of two U-shaped sections 77, 78, 79 and 81, 82, 83, the sections 78 and 82 being strapped together by straps 85 and 86. A seat 88 may be attached to the unit 81, 82 and 83 in any suitable manner, the two U-shaped units being held in position by braces 90 and 91. The ends of sections 81 and 83 of this U-shaped unit are attached to extensions such as 45 or 64, shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, respectively, and held in position thereon by set screws 93 and 94. Thus, to remove the seat, it is only necessary to loosen the set screws 93 and 94, break the braces 90 and 91, and rotate the unit 73, 74 and 75 and unit 77, 78, and 79, to fold the seat on the straps 85 and 86.

The construction described above provides a particularly simple frame structure for a table or stand which may be rapidly erected and folded into a minimum of space. Since it involves only four basic units of similar form and construction, it is economical to manufacture.

I claim:

1. A folding table comprising a plurality of U-shaped tubular units, each unit having two leg sections and a section interconnecting one end of each of said leg sections, the leg sections of one of said units telescoping within a respective leg section of two other units, and the leg sections of another unit telescoping within the other leg sections of said two other units, one of said two other units and said first-mentioned unit being adapted to rotate about the leg sections of said other units to first fold said units into substantially a single plane and then to continue said rotating to fold said units into two substantially parallel planes, a table top being provided with parallel cleats along two opposite edge portions of said top, one of said cleats being hinged to one interconnecting section of one of said U-shaped units, the other cross member being resiliently attached to said other cleat.

2. A foldable telescoping table frame comprising four U-shaped tubular units, each unit having two parallel leg sections and a section interconnecting one end of each of said leg sections, two of said units having their internal leg diameters of substantially the same size as the external leg diameters of the other two units and adapted to be telescoped therein, the two legs of each one of said units having the smaller diameter legs extending into one leg of each of said other units to form a rectangular supporting frame, two of said units being rotatable on the smaller diameter leg sections of said other units to first permit the folding of said units into substantially a single plane and then to fold said units into two substantially parallel planes, a table top having a pair of parallel supporting cleats on one side thereof mounted on the interconnecting sections of two of said units, one of said cleats being pivotally connected to one of said interconnecting sections and said other cleat being resiliently connected to said other interconnecting section.

3. A foldable telescoping table frame in accordance with claim 2 in which the legs of said units are joined by couplings having extensions therefrom to support a shelf.

4. A foldable telescoping table frame in accordance with claim 3 in which braces are provided, each two of said couplings being joined by said braces, said braces including a flexible core and interconnected tubes, and a tube sleeve for interconnecting said tubes.

5. A foldable telescoping table frame in accordance with claim 3 in which a pair of U-shaped tubular units is pivotally interconnected at their cross sections, a seat being mounted on one unit, said unit having said seat thereon having the ends of its legs connected to two of said couplings.

6. A table or stand structure having four tubular U- shaped units and a top, each of said units having two leg sections and a section interconnecting one end of each of said leg sections, two of said units having leg sections of a smaller external diameter than the internal diameter of the leg sections of said other units, said top being supported by the interconnecting members of two of said units, said structure being erected by inserting one smaller diameter leg section of a first unit into a larger diameter leg section of a second unit, the other smaller diameter leg section of said first unit being inserted in the larger diameter leg section of a third unit, and inserting one smaller diameter leg section of a fourth unit into the other larger diameter leg section of said second unit and the other smaller diameter leg section of said fourth unit into the other larger diameter leg section of said third unit, two of said units being rotatable on two of said leg sections thereof and two other units being rotatable on two of said leg sections of said other units to a position in one plane and said first-mentioned two units being further rotatable on their leg sections to position all of said units in two substantially parallel planes, said top having a pair of parallel edge portions thereof, one of said cleats being hinged to one of said supporting interconnecting members, and said other cleat being resiliently attached to said other supporting interconnecting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,804,171 Lewis May 5, 1931 1,976,031 Lowenberg Oct. 9, 1934 2,109,869 Ross Mar. 1, 1938 2,276,308 Hugh Mar. 17, 1942 2,778,700 Mayer Jan. 22, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 183,157 Switzerland Mar. 19, 1936 990,604 France Sept. 24, 1951 675,355 Great Britain July 9, 1952 1,089,849 France Mar. 22, 1955 1,117,316 France May 22, 1956 1,229,892 France Sept. 12, 1960 

1. A FOLDING TABLE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF U-SHAPED TUBULAR UNITS, EACH UNIT HAVING TWO LEG SECTIONS AND A SECTION INTERCONNECTING ONE END OF EACH OF SAID LEG SECTIONS, THE LEG SECTIONS OF ONE OF SAID UNITS TELESCOPING WITHIN A RESPECTIVE LEG SECTION OF TWO OTHER UNITS, AND THE LEG SECTIONS OF ANOTHER UNIT TELESCOPING WITHIN THE OTHER LEG SECTIONS OF SAID TWO OTHER UNITS, ONE OF SAID TWO OTHER UNITS AND SAID FIRST-MENTIONED UNIT BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATE ABOUT THE LEG SECTIONS OF SAID OTHER UNITS TO FIRST FOLD SAID UNITS INTO SUBSTANTIALLY A SINGLE PLANE AND THEN TO CONTINUE SAID ROTATING TO FOLD SAID UNITS INTO TWO SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL PLANES, A TABLE TOP BEING PROVIDED WITH PARALLEL CLEATS ALONG TWO OPPOSITE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID TOP, ONE OF SAID CLEATS BEING HINGED TO ONE INTERCONNECTING SECTION OF ONE OF SAID U-SHAPED UNITS, THE OTHER CROSS MEMBER BEING RESILIENTLY ATTACHED TO SAID OTHER CLEAT. 